Free call-blocking devices in order to protect the most vulnerable people in West Dunbartonshire from becoming victims of scams are being rolled out.
Funding from the Life Changes Trust – supported through the National Lottery Community Fund – has made the project possible locally.
It follows an increase in the variety of phone scams being reported by communities within the region.
The most common types of scam call police are currently seeing are calls from people pretending to be from the resident’s bank asking for money to be transferred into a different account, or pretending to be from reputable companies such as BT or Microsoft.
Scam calls have also increased during the pandemic with people signing up to streaming services and fraudsters purporting to be from the likes of Amazon Prime.
Cold callers would say that the recipient’s subscription was due for renewal or that their account had been hacked.
Another type of nuisance call which emerged towards the end of 2020 was the sale of shares and timeshares, possibly in response to widespread issues with travel and accommodation during the pandemic.
Chief Inspector Coleen Wylie, Police Scotland Area Commander for West Dunbartonshire, said: “Scammers are devious and deliberately set out to identify and exploit the most vulnerable in our communities, by obtaining personal information and encouraging people to give them their bank details.
“This is often achieved by convincing unsuspecting victims that urgent action is needed – a tactic which particularly targets elderly and more vulnerable people.
“We are delighted to have received this funding, allowing us to install call blockers in the home of residents most at risk of becoming a victim within West Dunbartonshire.”
The trueCall call blocking unit could give you or someone you know, peace of mind, knowing that if the phone rings it will be someone they want to talk to and these will be installed by Lomond and Clyde Care and Repair within West Dunbartonshire.
As the devices are limited, police are looking to supply these to people who are most vulnerable of falling victim to these scams, particularly those who live alone or suffer from a disability or mental impairment such as dementia.
To apply for a device email trading.standards@west-dunbarton.gov.uk with the name, address, telephone number and reason for the request (for example, the resident’s vulnerability).
